Unexpected Appearance Chapter 48

Lanie points to the body on her table. "I ran his prints. Mr. Split Personality is Tyler Ferris. He got out of Sing-Sing a year ago for sexual assault."

"Looks like he returned to his evil ways," Rick observes. "So much for rehabilitation."

"And since most sexual assaults go unreported, he could have been back to it for a year," Kate says.

"Until stopped by the sword slinger," Rick adds.

"Castle, you're not implying that some guy should go around splitting criminals down the middle," Kate questions.

"No, but it might be a more effective deterrent than whatever they're doing in Sing-Sing. A superhero straying from the no-kill comic book code could make the bad guys tremble in their boots. Against his power, it would take more than a cup to protect what's most precious to them."

"Which means our corrections system could be doing a much better job, not that we need some deranged slayer roaming the streets to take out bad guys," Kate argues. "And it doesn't help that Maria Mercado said it was too dark to give us a description. She's covering for her hero. What else can you tell us, Lanie?"

"Not much from Ferris' body. The lab is still analyzing the sword point. His records list a next of kin, his mother."

"All right," Kate acknowledges. "Come on, Castle, let's go see her."

Kate girds herself for the inevitable rush of grief she deals with on notations. "Mrs. Ferris, I'm very sorry for your loss."

The middle-aged woman shrugs. "These things happen. Don't sweat it."

"Mrs. Ferris, do you understand that I told you someone killed your son?" Kate queries.

"Yeah, I get it. It was bound to happen someday."

"And why is that?" Castle asks.

"Because Tyler was a no-good loser. He made one dumbass mistake after the next."

"Do you know if he was involved in anything that might have gotten him killed when he died?" Kate asks.

"Well, I certainly expect so," Mrs. Ferris replies.

"He told someone that his ship was coming in. Do you know what he meant by that?" Kate inquires.

Ferris shakes her head. "Who knows? His ship was always coming in."

Kate pulls out her notebook. "Ma'am, I'm going to need a list of all your son's enemies."

Ferris snorts. "You're gonna need a bigger pad."

Ryan studies the rap sheet displayed on his computer. "Larceny, assault, fraud, you name it, Tyler Ferris has done it. Still, nobody deserves to end up like that."

"He got what was coming to him," Esposito declares.

"Dude, that's for the criminal justice system to decide," Ryan returns.

"Maybe a sword is the criminal justice system," Esposito counters.

"Yeah, if you're Quentin Tarantino, maybe."

"Or Robin Hood. Hey, I've been looking at Tyler's phone records. He made lots of calls to an untraceable burner in the last six months – behavior consistent with a criminal dirtbag. And check this out. There's a new report that Tyler Ferris got into an altercation at a bodega three days ago. He was gone by the time the cops showed up, but the shopkeeper said that he was fighting with some guy over money."

"This other guy have a name?" Ryan asks.

"Yeah. He paid with a credit card. Shopkeeper had a record. His name's Tony Valtini, and he has a record, too."

"Damn right he does," Ryan agrees. "I remember him from my time in Narcotics. The guy is totally mobbed up. And you know what else? His parents own a meatpacking plant in New Jersey. He's got a nickname: 'Tony the Butcher.'"

"Bet he split a few sides of beef in his day," Esposito offers.

"Yeah," Ryan agrees.

In his seat across from Kate in interrogation, Tony Valtini crosses his well-muscled arms across his chest. "Yeah, I had words with Ferris. He used to work for me at Tony Valtini Enterprises."

Kate rolls her eyes. "What division, drug sales or stolen property?"

"I am a legitimate businessman," Valtini insists. "I deal in specialized cuts of meat. Ferris sucked at his job, so I canned him. He thought I owed him back pay. We settled it like gentlemen. If you don't believe me, go ask him."

"Beckett, does the precinct have a Ouija board?" Rick asks.

"No. Ryan knows a tarot card reader, but in this case, I don't think it would help."

Valtini's eyes flit between them in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You might say Ferris' life went to pieces," Rick quips.

"He's dead, Tony," Kate clarifies. "Cleaved in two – with a sword."

"Much like the long knives used to produce specialized cuts of meat," Rick points out."

"Hey, it wasn't me," Valtini claims. "I had nothing to do with it, but I know who did. That nut job vigilante who attacked me."

Kate flips through a file. "I ran your name. You never reported an attack."

"I don't like to be a burden on law enforcement," Valtini proclaims as Kate's eyes roll again. "Bottom line is I'm leaving my warehouse one night three weeks ago. All of a sudden, here comes this guy with a sword. He accuses me of criminal conduct, unjustly, by the way. Then he threatens to kill me if I don't leave town. And then, you know what he does then?"

"I'm waiting with bated breath to hear," Rick responds.

Valtini suddenly bounds from his chair, unbuckling his belt. Before Kate can get out a word, he drops his pants. Bending over, he points to a closed wound on his ample buttocks. "You see that? You see that scar there?"

Rick gazes at the mark. "It looks like an 'L.'"

Kate stares down at the table. "Mr. Valtini, could you please pull your pants back up."

"He did that to me with a sword. OK?" Valtini insists before rebuckling.

"What did this man look like?" Kate asks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Valtini asserts, "but I've got cameras in my warehouse. When he ran off, I caught him on video."

"This I've got to see," Rick says.

"Yeah, so do I," Beckett agrees.

"You turn me loose. I'll send it right over," Valtini proposes.

"The two detectives who brought you in will go with you to get it," Kate tells him. "They'll take you back to your warehouse now."

"If Valtini's butt is anything to go by, Slicerman is escalating," Castle muses as Ryan and Esposito usher Valtini toward the elevator. "It's strange. First, he does a take-off on Zorro. Then he's the Terminator. He would have to change eras and accents."

Kate presses her fingertips to her lips. "If he is escalating, then we have to catch him before he takes out anyone else."

"How? Don't we usually track a killer by his MO? His is changing drastically. And you've seen what's happened so far. Valtini didn't want to report the assault because it would make him look like a criminal, and Marie Mercado didn't want to describe Slicerman because he saved her from Ferris. Except for supervillains, no one wants to take down a superhero."

"But if he looks weird enough that Valtini thinks we'd need video to believe it, somebody will remember seeing him. Hell, they'll probably post pictures on social media. Then you can do your thing, Castle."

"Nice to know you think I'm good for something."

Kate takes a quick glance around before grabbing a handful of Rick's behind. "Oh, I think you're good for lots of things."